Neighborhoods don't just happen. With unprecedented detail, local historian Henry Stewart (True Crime Bay Ridge) reveals how a quiet Dutch farming community in Kings County was transformed into a bustling small city. Along the way he uncovers the forgotten stories of local Native Americans, slaves and artists while exploring long-demolished cemeteries, elevated trains, country clubs and waterfront resorts. How Bay Ridge Became Bay Ridge is a revelatory portrait of how a Brooklyn community was built, park by park and block by block-the story of Bay Ridge as it's never been told before.

Henry Stewart is a journalist. He lives in Bay Ridge, where he has always lived, with his wife.